49ers have 3 options with Alex Smith

Alex Smith doesn’t want to talk about his future this week, and who’s going to second-guess that decision?

The man has gone out of his way not to be a distraction for the past 10 weeks, and his demeanor has aided the 49ers on their journey. He’s not about to take a detour down Me Boulevard right now.

Still, the second most burning question of the week – behind who will win the game but ahead of who is the greatest wide receiver of all time – is where will Smith play next season?

What will the 49ers do with him? And what will they do without him?

“I’m focused on this game,” Smith has said, over and over this week. “All that other stuff can wait.”

If Smith is on the roster on April 1, the 49ers would owe him $7.5 million. If he is cut before that, he will earn $1 million in guaranteed money. The way his contract, which has two years remaining, is structured makes it look as though the 49ers had planned all along to get rid of him after this season.

The 49ers have a few options. They could be nice guys, thank Smith for all his hard work over the years and release him, allowing him to cut the best deal with a team of his choosing. There were reports this week that Smith has asked for his release, but he denies that, saying he didn’t know where or how that story originated.

Releasing him outright would be the sentimental move in a league not known for such a quality.

“This is a business,” Smith said. “They’re going to do what’s best for the team. That’s their job.”

Or the 49ers could try to trade Smith. With the way he performed this season, before losing his job, it seems likely that the 49ers could get a second- or third-round pick for him from a quarterback-starved team. Though Smith dipped his toe in the free-agent market last spring and came away with nothing, there’s a different perception about him now. And there are plenty of quarterback-starved teams. Reporters from places like Cleveland (where Smith’s former offensive coordinator Norv Turner has landed) and Arizona hovered around Smith’s table Wednesday, trying unsuccessfully to gauge his interest.

In the final scenario, the 49ers could look at the quarterback position as one financial entity and decide that spending $8 million for quarterbacks is a bargain. Colin Kaepernick, restricted by new rules governing contracts, will make about $600,000 next season and can’t have his contract adjusted or extended until after 2013. Even on a team with salary cap issues, the 49ers may think keeping Smith around as a dependable backup – one who Harbaugh says coaches Kaepernick more than he does these days – would be a worthwhile investment for another year.

Smith has been the consummate professional and good teammate. But that might be pushing his limits.

“I love this team, I love being a part of it,” Smith said. “But I want to play football. I’m not hiding that fact.”

Still, the 49ers will need a backup quarterback. Kaepernick has never been through the rigors of a 16-game season, and teams – like the Ravens plan to do Sunday – will attempt to hit him often and hard next season. Depth is a necessity.

And no one knows if Scott Tolzien, the second-year player who beat out Josh Johnson in training camp, is ready to be a backup. He hasn’t seen any game action.

“Scott had a great preseason, he stood in there and showed courage and accuracy and toughness,” quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst said. “He’s ultra-competitive and a bright kid. Scott’s ready, but we don’t know until he gets in there.”

Tolzien came out of a traditional offense at Wisconsin. He said he’s enjoying expanding his football knowledge, learning the option offense. But Tolzien might not be an ideal backup: lacking game experience and requiring a change in play calling.

“We would always work to the skill set of the player that’s in,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said.

Smith said he’s seen Tolzien improve tremendously since he arrived in September of 2011.

“He has a great understanding of the game, he plays fast and has good anticipation,” Smith said. “I see a long future for him.”

But it wouldn’t be like having the security blanket of a proven starter.

Smith has drawn a crowd this week. While Kaepernick has been placed on the big stages behind a microphone, Smith has been reduced to a table, or a standing spot.

“What, no podium?” he joked as he walked to his table Wednesday.

But the media has found him. He has answered the same question over and over again. He has stayed consistent, both with his answers and demeanor. He has amazed skeptics, who wonder if he’s really being sincere.

He is. He’s helped the team get to the Super Bowl. And he’s left another legacy: a role model parents and coaches can point to as an example of grace under difficult circumstances.

Smith has received an enormous amount of positive feedback since his demotion.

“Isn’t that a saying?” he joked. “The backup quarterback is the most liked guy on the team?”